Sunday, June 7, 2009

Use a Reverse Phone Search to Report Telemarketers


A few years ago, everyone in the United States was given the option of adding their home and cell phone numbers to the National Do Not Call List. If you have opted to place your phone number on the list, telemarketers are forbidden from calling you, by law. While there are some exceptions to the rule, you should have experienced a precipitous drop in the number of unsolicited sales calls you receive. However, these telesales companies are becoming more and more crafty every day, and a reverse phone search can help you report these offenders saving yourself the annoyance and hassle of unwanted calls.

Even with the existence of the Do Not Call List, there are unscrupulous companies who will call you anyway; or, those who will claim they are an exception to the rule. Some companies will call under multiple different names, several times per day, until you are driven to the point of turning the ringer off your phone completely. It does not have to be this way.

There are legal consequences for ignoring the Do Not Call List, and one of many widely available reverse phone search directories will give you the information you need to find out the true owner of every phone number that calls your home. This can be especially revealing in the case of companies trying to circumvent the laws by operating under multiple names and approaches.

Using a reverse phone search, gather the reliable and accurate information provided on the owners of the numbers. From here, you can file a complaint with the FTC. Do not rely on the message on your voicemail to be correct and honest about the nature of the call or the company calling. Only a reverse phone search will reveal the truth, and that is the information the FTC will need to follow up on your information and dole out consequences, which can include fines up into the millions of dollars.

Choosing a Reverse Phone Number Lookup Service

Reverse phone number lookup services are much easier to find these days than they used to be. In the past, the only solution to figure out who was calling you was to ask the phone company and hope they would release private customer information. These days, anyone with an Internet connection has access to the same information available to the phone companies with regards to whom owns a phone number, business address, and other vital information. However, not all reverse phone number lookup services are equal.

Some are free, while others cost a small fee per search or a monthly membership charge. Do not be fooled into equating cost with value. There are equally as many expensive, sub par services available as there are free inaccurate reverse phone directories. Older reverse directories suffer from old, out-of-date information. These directories often do not include information on cell phones, and, in some cases, have not updated their records in years. Many of these companies see no issue with charging you to access this inaccurate information. Some are free, though in many cases you will get what you pay for.

A reliable reverse phone number lookup service will provide consistently updated information that is guaranteed to be accurate. These directories will have information on the owners of land lines, business numbers, and cell phones as well. While there may be a charge for this data, you can be sure with these services that you are receiving reliable information.

The problem is, a reliable service and a shoddy service often look the same on the surface. Fortunately, the Internet can be used not only for reverse phone number lookup, but also for information on various reverse phone directory services as well. Just like any other service, numerous reviews from real customers are available to aid you in your search for a reliable, reasonably priced and accurate one.